Frederick westerbeck



(No Model.)

I. WESTERBEGK.

CAN.

Patented July 21, 1896,

TERS co, PHOTO-LIT" ms-roN, u c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WESTERBEOK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,492, dated J uly 21, 1896.

Application filed August 31, 1894.. Serial No. 521,828. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WESTER- BECK, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cans, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in cans which are of parallelepipedon form, and of the class generally employed for oysters; and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

Figure I is a top view of my improved can. Fig. II is a vertical section taken on line II 11, Fig. I. Fig. III is a vertical section taken on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a vertical section similar to Fig. 11, in which I have shown the present common form of oystercan. Fig. V is a vertical section taken on line V V, Fig. IV.

In oyster-cans of parallelepipedon form, as at present made, there is a very material defeet, and it is the object of my invention to overcome this fault in the construction of the cans. This faulty construction lies in the formation of the oblong top of the can, which is, as at present formed, of a straight piece of tin, and which in the ordinary process of manufacture is bent out of shape by the pressure of the can-making-machine dies against the sides of the can, causing the central portion of the top around the mouth to become depressed, as shown in Figs. IV and V, so that it is difficult to securely solder the cover over the mouth of the can, and even where a tight joint around the can-mouth is effected it is accomplished at a very considerable expenditure of soldering material and labor, both of which losses are material ones to the packer in packing large quantities of oysters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the parallelepipedon-shaped body of the can, and 2 the oblong top. In the top is the usual mouth 3, which, when the can is filled, is closed by the cover 41., secured to the top 2 by solder run into a groove 5, formed around the mouth 3.

For the purpose of strengthening the top of the can and preventing its being bent downward in the process of making the can, I form transverse parallel straight ribs 6 in the top 2, one on each side of and contiguous to the can-mouth and extending part way across the top, which ribs afford sufficient resistance to prevent the bending of the top of the can, so that the surface of the said top retains its levelness in the finished can, allowing the cover 4 to fit tightly all around the edge of the canmouth, as clearly illustrated in Figs. II and III, and in which case but a single strip of solder is sufficient to firmly secure the cover to the top.

I claim as my invention- 7 A can comprising a body of parallelepipedon shape formed with an oblong top having a circular central opening, of a diameter approximately the width of the top, a circular groove around the edge of the central opening and two parallel straight ribs located contiguous to, on opposite sides of the central opening, and extending part way across the top leaving spaces between them and the central opening, and a circular cover fitting in the circular groove around the central opening, substantially as described.

FREDERICK WESTERBECK. In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, G. E. EBERSOLE. 

